Leaves of poisonous plants cluster in threes

Poison Ivy is easy to spot once you learn to recognize its characteristic three leaves with notched edges. The plant usually grows as a ground cover or vine. Wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves and shoes that cover your feet when gardening. Summer is prime poison plant season, say experts.

Poison Ivy is easy to spot once you learn to recognize its characteristic three leaves with notched edges. The plant usually grows as a ground cover or vine. Wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves and shoes that cover your feet when gardening. Summer is prime poison plant season, say experts. (Photo courtesy of The Davey Tree Expert)

I'd had it with the tree monster taking over my driveway. It loomed larger every day and threatened to eat me and my car every time we pulled in. As my personal rainforest grew thicker and more menacing, so did my resolve to hack it back … some day.

Some day when I wasn't dressed for work, or late for spin class or a social plan, when I wasn't too tired and it wasn't too dark, I would cut the tree monster back.

That day came last week. But the tree got the last word.

After a night of heavy rain, I bolted out of bed when I heard the trash truck approaching. As I haul the recycle bins from garage to curb, I must plow through the tree monster, now rain-soaked and bowing lower than usual. I get drenched.

That's it. Because who knows where the yard clippers are, I grab my rose clippers (yes, I know I have told you to use these only for flowers) and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the tree monster.

Still in my PJ pants and a tank top, I hack away, creating a large pile of plant remains. As I whack back, I notice I'm cutting through branches and vines intertwined. Some vines have clusters of three leaves.

Then — remember, this is all before I've had my coffee — I recall some little rhyme about leaves of three let them be. What if it's....Could it be.....Poison ivy?

Too late now. I stuff the last of the plant debris into the second large trash bag. Back inside, I search my phone for what to do if exposed to poison ivy or oak. As a precaution, I follow the instructions to the T: Immediately douse exposed area with rubbing alcohol, rinse with water, shower with soap.

Pretty sure I've overreacted, I forget all about it. Until … 30 hours later, bumps appear on my right inner arm and inside left elbow. The rash looks like measles, and soon blossoms into itchy blisters.

"I have leprosy," I tell Katie McCoy Dubrow, a publicist for Garden Media Group, who said, the same thing happened to her last summer. She, too, got poison ivy for the first time, while clearing out some underbrush at her new home outside Philadelphia.

"You were lucky you acted fast," she said. "I got it from head to toe." This was a small comfort. She works in the garden industry and knows better.

"I thought I was immune," said Dubrow. "Did I think some of the plants might be poison ivy? Yes. Did I worry about it? No."

She had to see her doctor, who prescribed steroids.

I now had no room to complain about my two little rash patches, which wouldn't cover a post card.

But to spare you, and me, in the future, I called R.J. Laverne, education manager for The Davey Tree Expert Company, in Kemp, Ohio, for some poison plant pointers.

"Summer is prime time for poisonous plants," said Laverne. Just about every part of the country has at least one type of toxic plant. Here's how gardeners can spot and handle them, and what to do if exposed:

•Know the enemy. Poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak are all relatives, said Laverne. All exude the same oily substance called urushiol, which causes a rash, blisters and itching in most humans, though not all, who come in contact.

•What to look for. All are easy to spot, says Laverne. Poison ivy has three leaflets on short stalks. Leaf edges often have a notched edge. Poison ivy grows both as a ground cover or a climbing vine. You often find it along edges of woods or fence lines. It's most common in the Southeast, the Midwest and as far north as Michigan. Poison oak grows in the Southeast and the West, but not much farther north than Kentucky. It's a shrub, between one and three feet tall. It's leaves also come in threes, but have deeper lobes so resemble red oak leaves. Sumac, the most toxic, is common in the East up to Canada. It grows as a shrub or small tree, with seven to 11 oval, deep green leaflets per stem.

•Wear a barrier. If you're not sure whether these poisonous plants are in your yard, assume they are, and, when working outside, wear gloves, long-sleeves, long pants, a hat and closed shoes.

•If exposed, break out the alcohol. No, not to drink, to douse exposed areas. Hit exposed areas with rubbing alcohol fast, inside 30 minutes, if possible. Intervene before the oil binds with skin cells. Then rinse with clear water and shower (don't bathe) using warm water and soap.

•Wash clothes and tools, too. Urushiol can stay on clothing, shoes, gloves and tools for years. Wash exposed clothing apart from other clothes. Hose off tools and shoes right away.

•Beware of dog. Though animals don't react to poison plants like humans, Fido or Fifi can drag the oils into the house on their fur. If you pet them, you could get a reaction.

•Never burn. Don't burn yard debris if you suspect any plants are toxic. Anyone who inhales the smoke could land in the hospital.

•Spray it away. To rid your yard of poison plants, spray the foliage with weed killer, such as Round-Up, and let the plants die, roots and all, said Laverne. (Don't pull them out.) If you still want to remove the dead plant, wait until winter when the least amount of oil will be present.

•If you get a reaction. Try over-the-counter remedies such as Benadryl Calamine, or hydrocortisone ointments to relieve itching. (I liked Tri-Calm.) If that isn't enough, see a doctor for something stronger. Then, said Laverne, who's been in this boat dozens of times, "Grin and bear it for a week."

Syndicated columnist and speaker Marni Jameson is the author of "House of Havoc" and "The House Always Wins" (Da Capo Press).

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